Teaism wrote:I have the book for some time and use it for reference when hunting for teapots. But please be careful as there are a lot of fakes out there now. The fakers also have the same book.

From experience, I can spot them easily in the past based on clay and also the way the pot is done but the recent ones I have seen is getting almost impossible to detect. Have to go to the extend or using 30X lupe to study the clay and they also fake to that microscopic level. The clay, the workmanship and the "smell" almost like real old piece

Also some new books also publish fake as real.

Please be careful!

Cheers!

It depends on editors or writers.

5~70s F1 Hongni (the type William's pot had) had depleted by the early-80s. You won't find on after-80s pots.

Most of F1 imitations came out after the 90s, but kyarazen's book was published in 80s, during the 80s, the moulds would be kept from leaking out of Factory-1.

The books are good for shape reference only. Personally for me, for buying consideration, my first priority is the clay. If the clay clay is good, I will go for it. After a long time, the clay can be easily identifiable, whether they are from 70s,80s or later but still there is no fool proof approach. At times, I have love-hate relationship with Yixing teapots. But that doesn't stop me from buying them. I still have a lot of reliable sources and many teachers to teach me, so it is a long but nice journey....love-hate sometimes, just like any relationship.

chrl42 wrote:This is to include kyarazen's book, most of old publications don't really have *fakes* in the books.

Especially HK publications, who had direct a commercial route with Yixing Factory-1. The books covering Factory-1 goods are pretty few anyway.

chrl42 wrote:Most of F1 imitations came out after the 90s, but kyarazen's book was published in 80s, during the 80s, the moulds would be kept from leaking out of Factory-1.

hahaha. you make it sound like i wrote that book. i dont think i've posted any content from that book before nor any books that i had gone through, and if i start posting, i think the forum will be pissed at the spam and the publishers will come after me

books are a source of information and propaganda. similarly are internet sources, offline shops, online stores, and also sources from people both inside and outside china, both chinese reading and non chinese.

knowing too much of the trade turns you into a skeptic, reading too deep into books occludes one's rationality when books become "references", unable to obtain a dream piece of teaware results in sleepless nights..

Teaism wrote:The books are good for shape reference only. Personally for me, for buying consideration, my first priority is the clay. If the clay clay is good, I will go for it. After a long time, the clay can be easily identifiable, whether they are from 70s,80s or later but still there is no fool proof approach. At times, I have love-hate relationship with Yixing teapots. But that doesn't stop me from buying them. I still have a lot of reliable sources and many teachers to teach me, so it is a long but nice journey....love-hate sometimes, just like any relationship.

Cheers!

absolutely as long as the clay is good, fired well, it can make tea well and also become more beautiful through usage. i would go for these objectives too

Teaism wrote:At times, I have love-hate relationship with Yixing teapots. But that doesn't stop me from buying them.

Agree with you, my friend. Those things can really ruin or weaken a brewing session if they don't like that particular tea. That's why the old mantra keeps coming back: in case of doubt use a gaiwan Om!

Wow! Sadly, I have only a few of those. Far too lazy to read most of time I think some study of books is very useful before buying teapots. The books can help but it doesn't solve everything or a magic pass. Still they would at the very least, help you avoid some tuition if you used them intelligently.

Wow! Sadly, I have only a few of those. Far too lazy to read most of time I think some study of books are very useful if you want to buy teapots. The books can help but it doesn't solve everything or it is a magic pass. Still would at the very least, help you avoid some tuition if you used them intelligently.

That 荆溪紫砂器 is a real good book. Tang Ren Gong Yi has many publications and very renown, but the prices aren't that cheap.

Here are my favorites,

韩其楼 - 紫砂壶全书朱泥宝记朱泽伟 - 宜兴紫砂矿料

I agree books are just to be advised. But it's good there are still some worth to be advised, out there